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Lovely crunchy snack crackers.

(Some details regarding packaging etc are similar to my other Ryvita reviews but I have also included about 200 words of original opinion as well)

===The Company===

Ryvita has been made since the 1930s but now they have branched out and are adding other ingredients to their traditional crispbreads.

===The Product===

Packaging very similar to the original Ryvita. Comes in a waxed sort of plastic wrapper in an olive green colour. One slice = 41 calories and 2 grams of fibre. Long shelf life. By Appointment to Queen Elizabeth II and the Princes Fund. 250 grams (approximately 25 slices). Suitable for Vegetarians. Also certified as Kosher by KLBD (Kashrut Division of the London Beth Din).Contains no artificial colours or preservatives. Low in fat and high in fibre.

Most people know the original Ryvita crispbreads which have been around for over seventy years. However I am only now becoming acquainted with their new ranges of flavours which have added ingredients. I began by sampling the Sesame Seed version and then worked my way to the Multigrain version.Unlike normal Ryvita it is slightly darker and more crisp and 'short'. It still has the two different sides with indentations - one being deep and other more shallow. This means you can choose which side to put your fillings. Personally I always put my butter on the shallow depressions side as I do not want to use too much. The packaging always has serving suggestions of toppings and there are still more on the Ryvita website. However I stick to plain and simple toppings and will often have them with just a smearing of butter or else with cheese and some chopped onion.These days I tend never to buy biscuits so two or three of these Ryvita with a cup of tea after a meal rounds the meal off nicely for me. Alternatively I will have three or four with cheese for a snack.These Multigrain crackers are slightly more crunchy and flavoursome than the original versions. These have the five grains scattered over one side of the crackers, but not quite so many as with the sesame seed version. The little black specks are the linseeds but I do not really detect any of them by favour when I am eating the crackers - but they do add some goodness to your snack - I hope so anyway.These crackers are the same price as the sesame seed ones but more expensive than the original plain crackers.

The packaging also advertises tins that can be bought to hold your crackers and keep them fresh - they are available in red or white and can be ordered by post or via the website for £4.49.

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5/5

Ryvita is something that I buy regulary as it's such a quick, versatile and reasonably healthy snack. It's also pretty filling so it's handy when I'm in a rush and need to grab something quick and simple to eat as it's a lower calorie and healthier option to say a piece of toast or a packet of crisps! It's also a great thing to have when I'm not hungry and can't face cooking as I will happily tuck into a few of these with a nice salad. I've found that ryvita comes in handy mainly during the evening when I'm watching telly or relaxing with my boyfriend and get the urge to munch on something - this is versatile enough to never get boring and I have a number of favourite toppings including hummous and peanut butter. For slightly less health conscious people, it'd probably taste amazing with cream cheese and nutella too!

Ryvita is a crispbread which is available in a variety of flavours including black pepper, sweet onion, sweet chilli and so on - there's an impressive range of flavours and something for everyone. Most of the flavours are savoury although there's also a 'fruit crunch' flavour available. There's also a plain version available along with 'thins' which is basically thinner strips of the crispbread rather than the usual rectangular shaped ones. My favourite flavour which is the one that I am reviewing is the multi-grain version. I like this one because it's very versatile and it's nice and simple. This is simply a wholegrain crispbread topped with toasted seeds and grains. Some of the seeds in the ingredients include brown linseeds and sesame seeds. Other ingredients include buckwheat, salt and wholegrain rye flour.

Ryvita has no weird, chemical-sounding ingredients in it and it is free from additives such as artificial colours and artificial preservatives. It's high in fibre, low in saturated fat and is described by the manufacturers as a British favourite which is 'light & airy with a distinctive crispy crunch'. Ryvita is suitable for vegeterians and it is made by milling and baking wholegrain British rye flour. A 250 gram pack of ryvita retails at around £1.20-£1.30 and it can be purchased from a majority of shops such as corner shops, supermarkets and so on - even Amazon sell it in bulk! I usually buy it from Tesco as I do my grocery shopping at Tesco. I pay £1.29 which I think is a reasonable price considering a pack will last me for atleast a week.

The packaging is simple and recogniseable. The crispbreads simply come in a green packet made of a thick material which is a cross between plastic and paper. The branding is pretty good with the product name in large red writing along with a brief product description and of course a large photograh of one of the crispbreads piled high with a yummy looking topping. Nutritional information, manufacturer contact details and ingredients can be found on the back of the packet. The packaging does need to be cut open and it is not re-sealable which is a minor disadvantage, and I reccomend putting them in a air-tight container once the pack is open to kee them fresh and ensure that they don't lose their crispy texture.

The ryvita's themselves are rectangular shaped and brown in colour with the generous amount of seeds visible on one side of the crispbread, while the other side is smooth. The texture is quite gritty without making it sound unpleasant! Taste wise, the crispbread alone is quite tasty. The nutty flavour of the seeds is easily noticeable and the pleasant bready wholegrain type taste is prominant. One of my friends doesn't like ryvita because she thinks they're salty tasting, but I totally disagree and they don't taste salty or unpleasant to me in the slightest. On their own, ryvita can be a little drying which is why I usually add a topping such as hummous or cottage cheese - there are lots of topping choices. Smell wise, these smell a little cardboardy in my opinion but despite this, the smell is pretty pleasant.

I find that four ryvitas along with the topping of my choice leaves me feeling full and satisfied, so ryvita is a substantial snack and suprisingly filling considering one ryvita contains just 41 calories! They are also high in fibre and contain protein so the nutritional values are really good in my opinion. Overall, I really highly reccomend ryvita crispbreads. They are a really healthy, low calorie and versatile snack and although they are low in calories I personally find that they are really filling as well as tasty. I give the ryvita multigrain crispbreads 5/5 and really reccomend them!

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Something to keep around to stop from snacking....

Please note that this is now in different packaging to that shown - it is now green.

Ryvita now have a number of different varieties rather than the traditional (some might say bland) variety not just as crispbreads but as other varieties of savoury snacks.

This variety retails at around £1.15 for 250g, however you do see it on offer from time to time.

Ryvita tends to market itself as a good product for those watching their weight. The calorie count of this product is 37 per slice with 0.6g fat, it also says that it is high in fibre and is a source of iron.

The product comes in packaging which firstly appears to be paper but is quite glossy and plastic. You open the pack by pulling and separating the ends. This should not tear the packaging (it is surprisingly hardy), rather it will provide a bit of give so that you can easily wrap it all back up again. It is recommended that you move them all to an airtight container, however I have not found this necessary if I am eating them over the course of a week as long as I wrap it back up the best I can.

This multi-grain variety is a particular favourite of mine. Each crispbread slice contains 37 calories. Both sides of the crispbread are covered in toasted seeds, which I think is the best way of cooking seeds as it really brings out their flavour - the topside in larger seeds and the base in smaller ones. I find it hard to decipher which is which so I will just list the ingredients as described on the packet - wholegrain rye flour, buckwheat, linseeds, kibbled soya, sesame seeds, kibbled rye and salt.

I have to say that the taste is really nice, a definite improvement on the original flavour. The seeds add a nice nutty, almost roasted type taste to it. This makes it just a bit more satisfying than normal. In fact, I would argue that the taste is good enough that you could even enjoy the breads as savoury snacks without any topping, I know I do! That said they do work just as well with topping, in particular I like to eat these with chickpeas because the seeds really complement the pulse content. By saying that they work with toppings I also mean that the flavour that is there does not overpower whatever you put on top.

The texture of the bread itself is firm, it snaps when you bite it, but the smaller particles within can be quite crumbly which means you do need a plate when eating. When you reach the end of the packet there is also bound to be some seed debris, but this is quite tasty actually. I think that for the price it represents quite good value for money because they are not the type of things that you binge on because they are quite dry. Their 'snappy' texture means that you can have them for dipping sticks as well as traditionally laying toppings across them.

In conclusion, I really like this product - it represents a really good option for snacking etc when you are bit peckish, and something a bit more substantial at lunchtime when teamed with appropriate toppings etc. I like to try and keep some at my desk when hunger pangs strike, and I have to be honest as a surprisingly satisfying and tasty snack with a low calorie content, I think that they work.

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A pretty good replacement for bread

Now that I'm well stricken in years, I seem to be on a constant diet and exercise regime in an effort to stop my waistline expanding as rapidly as the years seem to be clocking up. This inevitably seems to require a drastic reduction in the intake of carbohydrates, including bread, but spooning down cottage cheese without something a little bit tasty to go with it, is practically impossible, so I recently set out for Sainsburys on a quest to find a tasty and lower calorie alternative. I returned some time later clutching a packet of Ryvita.

I hadn't eaten Ryvita for donkeys years and my memory of them was that they were little more than tasteless dimpled rectangles of cardboard flavoured nothingness which stuck to the roof of your mouth and I daresay that the Ryvita Originals still do, but I have to say, I was agreeably surprised by this new, improved Ryvita.

Ryvita have dragged themselves into the 21st century with a selection of crispbreads to choose from and apart from the Original, there are now eight other varieties available, including a Fruit Crunch!. However, I chose a packet of Ryvita Multigrain.

Price

I paid 86p in Sainsburys for a 250 gram packet of Ryvita Multigrain, although some of the other varieties were on sale for a slightly higher price. Ryvita are universally available at all major supermarkets, though possibly not in all varieties.

Packaging

There isn't really much a manufacturer can do to make a packet of crispbreads look exciting and Ryvita don't even try. The packaging is minimalist, simply heavyweight plasticised paper which, in these more environmentally conscious times, is all you need and seems to be relatively tear-proof. Each variety is a different colour and the Multigrain variety is sold in a light olive green packet.

Once opened, they need to be stored in an air-tight container to maintain their crispiness.

Ingredients and nutritional value

The main nutritional information is clearly printed on the front of the packet in white lettering and the ingredients list is comfortingly short. These crispbreads contain: Wholegrain rye flour (83%), Buckwheat, Linseeds, Kibbled Soya, Sesame Seeds, Kibbled Rye, Salt.

Wow, how times change! I was expecting the new, improved Ryvita to taste pretty much the same as they always did but not a bit of it. These crispbreads still have the same general appearance of smooth on one side and dimpled on the other but the Multigrain ones have lots of little seeds embedded into the crispbread. These are the linseeds and sesame seeds mentioned in the ingredients list.

The taste, too, is surprisingly pleasant. Gone is that bland cardboard-like taste and texture to be replaced by a satisfying, almost nutty flavour in many ways similar to crunchy granary bread. Their slightly salty and savoury flavour is an ideal accompaniment to cheese, even the hated cottage variety, but these crispbreads are actually tasty enough to eat completely on their own, without so much as a smear of butter or margarine. Ryvita have produced a crispbread which is definitely much more tasty than they used to be.

The main downside to these crispbreads is that they are not a substitute for bread. They completely fail to provide that feeling of chewy satisfaction that eating bread gives. However, they're an adequate replacement and are every bit as filling as bread. This is largely because of the rye content. Rye has a much higher insoluble fibre content than wheat and helps to provide a feeling of fullness.

The other problem with the Multigrain Ryvita is that the grains are very tiny and can get stuck in your teeth. If you take these to eat for lunch at work, be very careful to check your teeth in the mirror before smiling at anyone. The linseeds are almost black in colour and if you get one of those stuck in your front teeth, you'll end up looking like you're in desperate need of a good dentist!

The seeds don't all adhere to the crispbread either so these can end up being quite messy to eat and also, when the packet is empty, you'll find about a handful of seeds lurking in the corners of the packaging.

If you're on a diet, I can recommend Ryvita Multigrain as being a tasty replacement for bread but they're not just for the serious dieter as these crispbreads go well with lots of savoury toppings although perhaps not so well with sweet ones. I shall certainly be buying these again and I might even try a couple of other varieties too.

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Crunchy and lovely healthy snack

Ryvita is a rye based cracker perfect for people wanting a low calorie lunch or snack and can be used as a board for a lot of ingredients.

Ryvita was until very recently a British company making the crackers since 1930, they are made of rye and virtually nothing else, they are associated with people wanting to lose weight as they have only 32 calories per cracker.

Why do I like them?

I've been on the slimming world diet for about 4 years, and on that diet 3 ryvita cracker make up a healthy B. You are allowed 2 healthy B's per day as a means of adding roughage to your diet. I since the start of the diet used one of the B's as ryvita's for my lunchtime snack. I usually eat them with low fat cheese and sliced apple or grapes.

It would be fair to say I love them!!!

The crackers themselves are crisp, crunchy, and accompany cheese, fruit really well. I love all the various brands but my favourite is this muti-grain one, basically its the basic cracker but also has loads of seeds embedded in the cracker. This gives the eater a rather nice extra texture and crunch for every cracker they eat.

Every pack consists of around 20 crackers, they cost about 80p a pack but are often available on offer from supermarkets and as they don't go off quickly I often buy a dozen packs at a time.

So things I've found which go well with ryvita crackers.

1. Soft cheese as I've mentioned2. Apples, grapes3. Jam - really yumm and totally not on the diet4. prawns5. Tomatoes6. Sliced eggs7. Oranges with cheese, oh yes it works well

Some people use ryvita as basis for really low fat desserts if they are soaked in various juices etc but for me they are a bit weird tasting as its a savoury snack in a sweet dessert.

Ryvita's are a great way to help those with a bit of a stomach to lose that stomach, they are low in fat, salt and accompany loads of things to nibble on when your hungry.

I'm so glad they are on the slimming worlds diet as they have kept me going for 4 years.

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Crispy, crunchy, yummy goodness!

My memories of Ryvita crisp breads were not pleasant ones - scratchy cardboard comes to mind. They were the type of things that people on diets ate, as if they weren't suffering enough!

Anyway, due to my 2-year old's recent ambition to eat only bread and cheese related products, we have been exploring new options and I can only say that I am amazed by the transformation! I would go so far as to say I am rather addicted to their crispy crunchiness and this multi-grain one is my favourite.

They come in a 250g paper packet, so need to be put into an airtight container one opened to keep optimum crispiness (although not entirely necessary the rate I'm going through them). This works out to approx. 20 slices at 96p (Sainsburys) that's less than 5p per slice - bargain! Wholegrain and covered in toasted seeds, they are not only yummy but high in fibre, iron and low in fat and calories. I imagine they would be a useful substitute to bread if on a calorie-controlled diet, but at the rate I go through them it probably doesn't work out lower calories.

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Ryvita Multi-Grain

Every so often I decide to go on a health kick I try and eat more sensibly and do more exercise. With my new healthy diet in mind and whilst walking round my local Tesco's looking at healthy foods this box of Ryvita Multigrain got thrown in my trolley.

~ Product Description ~

They come in a rectangular pack which is predominantly green and yellow in colour. The Ryvita logo and nutritional information are also on front of the pack. The multigrains in these ryvitas are rye, sesame seeds and soya.

Inside the pack the Ryvita's are wrapped in a waxy white plastic paper bag to keep them fresh. There are about 16 crispbreads in a 200g box.

On the back of the pack is a full list of ingredients and detailed nutritional information.

~ What My Ryvitas Look Like ~

The crispbreads are rectangular in shape. They are pale brown in colour and lightly corrugated on one side (they look a bit like corrugated cardboard) and very bumpy on the other. The bumpy side also has the multigrains on the surface and a fine powdery coating. Truthfully they do not look very appetising and they really do look like corrugated cardboard.

~ Brief History ~

The Ryvita Company was established in 1925 in Birmingham, later moving to Poole in Dorset where they still are today. In 1949 the Ryvita Company was bought by Garfield Weston, and later they became part of Associated British Foods.

When spreading your Ryvitas remember if you are trying to be healthy spread your topping on the smoother side.

~ Ingredients ~

The ingredients in these Ryvita's are nice and simple. Wholegrain Rye Flour (good for your heart), Buckwheat, Linseeds ( said to have weight loss benefits), Kibbled Soya (extra source of vitamins that your average vegetarian could be slightly lacking), Sesame Seeds, Kibbled Rye, Salt. Ryvitas are made from all natural ingredients.

These Multigrain Ryvita's have a low Glycaemic index which means they are helpful in maintaining blood sugar levels as they are digested slowly (these would be ideal for diabetics). As they are high in fibre they will help to keep you regular and help to maintain a healthy digestive system.

~ Texture and Taste ~

These biscuits are light and very crispy and bits tend to fall all over the place when you take a bite or are buttering them. The texture is rough. They taste a lot better then they look. The taste is hard to describe sort of nutty with lots of multigrain seeds in these ryvita's. Ok so they are not as good as a big bar of choccy or a nice fresh cream cake but they do taste good with butter or philadelphia cheese spread on and more importantly are low in fat and cals (if you don't put to much topping on).

~ My Opinion Overall ~

These are really healthy and I do like the taste of them. They are great if you are trying to eat more sensibly and are fairly filling. They are very messy though and bits fall all over the place when you are eating and buttering them. I will buy these again they taste better than they look and will hopefully help me on my quest to shed a few pounds.

~ Price ~

The price of my Multigrain Ryvita's was 68p. I bought mine from Tesco but they are available from most shops and supermarkets.

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A girls best friend!

Wholegrain rye topped with toasted seeds and grains. This crispbread contains a blend of five different seeds and grains providing a tasty base for any topping.

These are particularly delicious with feta cheese and olives! I have also got a tendancy to dip them in humus for a really different snack idea!

They are really low fat and very tasty. They are versatile enough to have with salads and other typical diet or to have with butter, grated cheese and other delicious naughty toppings. I have taken to keeping a pack of these in my drawer in my office and snack on them instead of crisps or chocolate. They are better for you and also the advantage of having them just bunged in a drawer is that unlike Crispbread (which is still delicious) they dont go soggy when they arent in an airtight container. They retain their crispness!

The other added bonus of course is that the rest of the family dont recognise them as a great snack, so you can have them all to yourself. I used to think these were a boring low fat snack food but I could honestly write a book full of different recipes for them. I use them as croutons in soup, with salads, with curries sometimes instead of bread or naan, with peanut butter on, jam, cheese, feta, humous, tzaziki or almost anything!